Make Your Own Deodorant

I've been making my own deo for the last five years and saving a lot of money this way! 
So I've been stoked with this wee recipe and I just adapt it to suit whichever essential oils I am enjoying at the time. Try out the recipe and if you find you need less baking soda, reduce it, alternatively you could find your swarthy pits require more oils or baking soda... adapt it to suit yourself!

A note about essential oils:
- choose an oil that has anti-bacterial properties (e.g. lemongrass, thyme, lavender, rosemary, tea tree) and mix it up with other scents you enjoy
- be careful with amounts, just a few drops will be enough. If you add too much there is a chance you could have a sensitive reaction to it and get a rash. So less is better
- if you are using an oil that is particularly dark or yellow in colour it could taint your deodorant batch, potentially causing it to stain your light-coloured clothing. Therefore I stick to clear-coloured oils or use the dark ones very sparingly

Ingredients:

1.5 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1.5 Tbsp Baking Soda

1 heaped Tbsp Cornflour

Essential Oils

Optional: 1 Tbsp Shea Butter

Method:

1. Use a double boiler or create your own: Put the oil (and optional shea butter) into a glass or metal bowl over top of a pot containing some water and bring the water to boil.

2. Once the oil has melted stir in the baking soda until it dissolves.

3. Take off the heat and keep stirring while adding the cornflour. You will need to use the back of the spoon to make sure you turn all the lumps to smoothness.

4. Add your essential oils - drop them onto your mixing spoon before stirring in, this is to prevent pouring too much in by mistake! Remember to be frugal with these, unless you're sure you won't have a skin sensitivity to them.

5. Once you have the scent to your liking, you will want the mixture to set. Put your mixing bowl into a separate bowl of ice, or a sink with cold water in it and continue to stir until it hardens (you can leave it to harden naturally without doing this method but you'd have to keep stirring it periodically so the oils don't separate). I find by cooling it quickly you save a lot of time and it's ready to use immediately. If it cools too quickly give it a thorough mixing to make sure it's all smooth and all ingredients well incorporated.

6. Put into a wee container with a tight lid (if you're travelling you'll want to make sure the lid fits tightly because the mix can melt and could otherwise leak).

Voila! Your own deo! C'est très simple! A container like this will last me about 4 or 5 months. I just use a little bit each day on the tip of my finger, rub in well under the arms and you're good to go all day!